Chapter 10

The cold night air nipped at my skin as I exited the building. My heels clicked softly against the pavement, a rhythm to the chaos of my thoughts.

Today has been a whirlwind. From the accusations at work to Drew's unexpected defense, my mind hadn’t stopped spinning since the meeting ended. All I wanted now was to crawl into bed and shut the world out.

But as I neared the entrance, a familiar figure leaning casually against the railing caught my attention.

“Max?” I said, my voice tinged with surprise.

He straightened immediately, his hands slipping into his pockets as he turned to face me. His expression was a mixture of concern and relief.

“There you are. I was starting to think I’d camp out here all night,” he said, his tone light but his eyes searching mine.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, pulling my coat tighter around me.

He shrugged, trying to play it cool, but the way his brows furrowed gave him away. “You left the café in such a hurry earlier, and I... I don’t know, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You looked pale back there as you hurried out.”

The sincerity in his voice made my chest tighten. For all his charm and cheeky remarks, Max had a way of showing up when I least expected it and when I most needed it.

“I’m fine,” I said, offering a small smile. “Really.”

He raised a brow, unconvinced. “Are you sure about that? You don’t look fine. Come on, let me give you a ride home. It’s late, and I don’t feel right leaving you to walk in the dark.”

I hesitated for a moment but then nodded. “Alright. Thanks.”

He led me to his car, a sleek black sedan that was as polished as his appearance. I slid into the passenger seat, grateful to escape the biting wind.

The ride started in comfortable silence, the hum of the engine filling the space between us. But it wasn’t long before Max glanced at me, his curiosity clearly getting the better of him.

“So,” he began, his tone casual but laced with concern, “what was the emergency about? You don’t have to tell me if it’s confidential or something, but I’d rather not sit here wondering.”

I sighed, resting my head against the cool window. “There was a breach. Someone leaked information about the project to the media.”

His brows shot up. “What? Are you serious?”

“Dead serious,” I replied, my voice heavy with exhaustion.

He shook his head, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. “That’s messed up. Do they know who did it?”

I hesitated. “They’re still investigating. But…”

“But what?” he pressed, glancing at me briefly before returning his eyes to the road.

I swallowed hard. “The emails were traced back to me.”

He slammed on the brakes as we approached a red light, turning to face me fully. “What?”

“I didn’t do it, Max,” I said quickly, my voice shaking slightly. “Someone’s setting me up.”

“Of course you didn’t do it,” he said, his voice rising. “Who would even believe that? You’ve worked so hard on this. It doesn’t make any sense!”

I nodded, my fingers fidgeting in my lap. “It doesn’t. But that didn’t stop the accusations from flying in the meeting.”

“Let me guess,” he said bitterly. “Drew was leading the charge, wasn’t he? Of course he’d love to pin this on you. Probably another one of his mind games to make your life miserable.”

I turned to him sharply. “That’s not true.”

He scoffed, his jaw tightening. “Come on, Lila. The guy has been nothing but trouble for you since day one. You can’t honestly believe he’s innocent in all of this.”

“Max,” I said firmly, cutting him off. “Drew was the only one who defended me in that meeting.”

His mouth opened as if to argue, but then he froze, his expression shifting from disbelief to confusion. “Wait…he defended you?”

“Yes.”

His brows knitted together, and he let out a short, incredulous laugh. “I don’t get it. Why would he do that? He’s the last person I’d expect to have your back.”

I turned back to the window, staring out at the passing streetlights. “I don’t know,” I admitted softly. “But he did. And I don’t think he’s the kind of person who’d sabotage me like that.”

Max let out a low whistle, shaking his head. “This just keeps getting more complicated. What’s going on between you two, Lila? And don’t give me the usual ‘it’s complicated.’ You can trust me.”

I hesitated, chewing on my bottom lip as I tried to find the right words. By this time, we’d pulled up outside my building, but I didn’t want to end the conversation here.

“Come inside,” I said, unbuckling my seatbelt. “It’s easier to talk in private.”

Inside my apartment, I shrugged off my coat and gestured for Max to take a seat on the couch. He complied, watching me closely as I moved to the kitchen.

“Coffee?” I offered, already reaching for the kettle.

“Sure,” he said, his tone neutral but his gaze intent.

The silence stretched as I prepared the coffee, the hum of the kettle and the clink of mugs the only sounds. Finally, I joined him on the couch, setting his mug on the table in front of him.

He took a sip, then leaned back, his eyes never leaving mine. “So? Talk to me.”

I wrapped my hands around my own mug, the warmth seeping into my fingers. “It’s… a long story.”

“I’ve got time,” he said, his voice soft but insistent

I sighed, setting my mug down on the coffee table. “We met at the Sinclair gala,” I began hesitantly.

Max raised an eyebrow. “The Sinclair gala? The one with all the top tier business moguls?”

I nodded. “It was my first time attending something that big. I was nervous and out of place. I accidentally spilled my drink on him.”

Max blinked, clearly trying to picture it. “Wait…you spilled a drink on Drew? And he didn’t fire you on the spot?”

I laughed softly, the memory bringing a faint smile to my lips. “No. We weren't working together then and he actually surprised me. Instead of getting mad, he asked for my name and a few days later, he contacted me and offered me a job to manage his hotel launch.”

“That’s… unexpected,” Max said, leaning back in his seat. “So he handpicked you for this?”

“Pretty much.”

“And then what?” he pressed. “How did it go from professional to… whatever this is?”

I hesitated, staring down at my hands. “A few weeks after I started, we attended another gala together. He was charming that night, different from the cold, distant boss I’d gotten used to. One thing led to another, and…”

Max’s jaw tightened, and he leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “And?”

“And we had a one-night stand,” I finished, my voice barely above a whisper.

His expression darkened, and for a moment, I thought he might explode. But instead, he exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair.

“You slept with him,” he said flatly.

“It wasn’t planned,” I said defensively. “It just… happened. And honestly, I didn’t even know what I was thinking but then we went back to work, and everything got complicated.”

“He said we should pretend it never happened”

Max stared at me, his jaw clenched. “Lila, you can’t keep doing this to yourself. Drew doesn’t strike me as someone who’s capable of being straightforward. He’s the kind of guy who’ll hurt you without even realizing it.”

“You don’t know him,” I said softly.

“And neither do you,” he shot back.

We fell into silence again, the tension between us palpable. I sipped my coffee, trying to calm the storm brewing inside me. But before I could respond, my phone buzzed on the table.

I picked it up, frowning as I read the message.

“What is it?” Max asked, his voice cautious.

“It’s from Drew,” I said, my throat tightening. “He wants me to come in early tomorrow. Says he’s found something.”

“About the breach?” Max asked, sitting up straighter.

“I don’t know,” I admitted, my pulse quickening.

Max frowned, his eyes narrowing. “Whatever it is, be careful, Lila. Something about this doesn’t feel right.”

I nodded, but deep down, I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling settling in my stomach. Drew had defended me once, but now, I couldn’t help but wonder what exactly had he found?